Gajeel Accidental Matchmaker
by Kit Carson
Summary: The trials of one Iron Dragon Slayer, as the idiots he calls guild mates try to figure out the super scary thing called Feelings. Also Lily isn't payed enough for this (he isn't payed for it at all) but it will entertaining to watch!


Once upon a time, in a land full of magic, a dragon slayer made for an excellent story. I hope you enjoy this work of Fan.

I own nothing except an idea. A really, really bad Idea.

Enjoy!

Kit

p.s. updates are sporadic at best as I am frequently sick or working to make up for being sick. Joy.

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Gajeel Redfox woke slowly. His body sluggish and a little sore from the most recent job, he reveled in the chance to relax and unwind in peace.

Alas a day of rest was not to be. The quiet was shattered by the sound of someone pounding on his door. Grumbling he pulled his pillow over his head rolling over in a futile attempt to go back to sleep.

"Gajeel! I know you're in there! Wake up!" the voice that accompanied the incessant thumping was angry. "GAJEEL!" it got louder. He burrowed further into the soft comfort of his bed. Two ears peeked around his bedroom door.

"You gonna get that?" Pantherlily blearily looked up at the Iron Dragon Slayer. The lump of blankets that represented his friend curled up pointedly facing away from the door. The Exceed sighed and headed for the door. The pounding hand gave a much firmer strike before finally stopping. Lily flew up to the door and popped the lock. The door gave way to a rather harried looking Ice Mage. Lily looked down at the sprawled form of Grey Fullbuster, and then at the slowly advancing swarm of hands. He slammed the door shut and locked it back up.

"And that is why you should always have spare pants in your bag." Grey looked up at the Exceed.

"If that had happened before, I would have. And now, I am never taking that chance again!"

"Good. Now please get your naked ass off of our entry floor. There are spare clothes in the hall closet from the last time you idiots came over. I am going back to bed. If you are hiding here, then you can make breakfast in a few hours. Don't burn the place down. There are some good books in the living room. Don't touch the scrap piles, they haven't been organized yet. Coffee is in the kitchen. Wake us up again and we toss you back to the fangirls." With that Lily drifted back to his room.

Grey looked at the Time Lacrima in the Kitchen and sighed. Coy voices drifted in from outside causing the ice wizard to shiver in fear. It would take a while for the creeps to clear off. He quietly dressed and headed to the living room. Food and coffee could wait a bit.

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The second time Gajeel woke was to the glorious smell of coffee and muffins. He eased his battered body out of bed and stumbled towards the kitchen. A cup of coffee appeared in front of him along with a plate of nuts, bolts, and muffins. He sighed and looked at the sheepish wizard in front of him.

"Food and coffee. You're forgiven. What happened exactly, that led to you pounding on my door first thing in the morning?" Grey blushed at the question and mumbled a reply. Lily clarified.

"He lost his pants and Juvia wasn't there to scare away the fans. They chased him down like a mad dog and cornered him here." The unexpected host settled at the table with his breakfast. Shirtless and covered in bandages, he made for an intimidating sight. Grey was immune to the accidental intimidation but not to the teasing that followed.

"Gihihihi. Stripper, you _need_ to tell your girlfriend when you plan on going out. Or one day you're get into a world of trouble. And she will not be pleased."

"Juvia isn't my girlfriend! I don't know why everyone keeps harping on about that, but it's getting annoying!" Gajeel stopped mid bite.

The bolt he had been about to eat was put down and the plate pushed aside. His sluggish movements turned sharp and angry. Lily looked on calmly as the Dragon Slayer towered over his fellow guild mate. He sipped his coffee and smiled, preparing to enjoy the show.

"I have been meaning to ask. What are your intentions towards _my friend_? Because if you are planning to just lead her on, forever, then I'm going to toss you back to the fan girls. There are people that will treat her like she is a goddess in the flesh and she deserves better then to be treated like a door mat by a wizard that doesn't know how incredible she is!" by the end of the short tirade Gajeel was yelling. His hand was fisted in the front of Grey's borrowed shirt, and the shorter man was suddenly aware of the fact that he was at a slight disadvantage and Lily did not look like he was going to be much help.

"Intentions? The hell do you mean!" he was dropped back into his chair.

"I'm going to say this once. So unfreeze your ears and listen. Juvia loves you. And if you're going to keep brushing her off every single time she tries to tell you, we are going to have issues."

Grey could have been replaced by an ice clone and you could not have told the difference. The only movement was his eyes, as he blinked up in shock. Every part of him was frozen and he seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Hmph. She deserves better." He sat across from the still frozen Grey and returned to his breakfast. Lily smiled at both men.

"Gajeel, weren't you suppose to meet Ms. Levy in 20 minutes?" a glance at the wall told him that he was indeed running late.

"Crap! Lily, make sure the stripper doesn't die from shock or stupidity. I gotta get movin!" he gobbled the last of his breakfast, gulped the coffee, and was re dressed and ready to go in under 10 minutes. With a large heavy book under one arm he shot out the door and was gone. Lily flew over to Grey and poked him with a butter knife.

"You would never know that in front of me is one of the strongest members of Fairy Tail. Still he is breathing at least. That is a good sign." He continued around the kitchen table picking up the dishes and contemplating the kiwi juice in the fridge.

"Lily?" the crack in Grey's voice was almost inaudible. "Does she really? I mean, was he, is it?"

"That made no sense." Confusion and faint humor filled the short response to the stammered question.

"What Gajeel said, is it true?" this time the crack in Grey's voice was significantly more evident. And though he seemed to be coming out of the shock he still hadn't moved. Lily Glanced at the Time Lacrima. _Only 30 minutes to full awareness after shock. Not bad._

"Yea, it is obvious. To everyone. Gajeel can smell her from across the room when she is looking at you. She says it all the time. And you turn away and ignore her. She accepted him, and befriended him. And you, unintentionally, hurt her often enough I'm surprised you are still unscathed." Wide eyes follow the Exceed as he putters around the kitchen and into the living room. The sounds of shifting metal are the only things heard for a while.

"What should I do?" The question was hesitant, softly spoken and almost fearful. And Lily was reminded that while the Wizard in front of him was powerful and experienced but was still quite young. 18 and adventurous was not necessarily a good combination for learning about relationships.

"Not that Gajeel is any better…"

"Lily?"

"Never mind Grey. How do you feel about Juvia?" The Ice Wizard looked at the floor.

"I don't know. I, she has always been around, she helps and cares, I care for her."

"Start there. Learn about her. Talk with her. Maybe get her to call you something other than Grey-sama. Be her friend. Be clear about your boundaries. Learn hers. Do not take advantage of her or I don't think I will be able to stop any of the women in Fairy Tail from… well…" a strangled laugh greeted the trailed off sentence.

"I don't want to hurt her. I would _never_ take advantage of how she feels. I need to talk with her. Thanks Lily. And thank Gajeel for me too. I guess I needed some sense shouted at me."

"I will let him know. It looks safe outside. Why don't you head home? Think about what you want to say, and then what you want to do. And have fun!" the Exceed was scooped into a brief hug. He watched as Grey peeked out the front door before slipping away in the direction of the guild. "I am reasonably sure I am not a relationship guide."

XXX XXX

Mira Jane looked around the guild hall with a smile. She seemed to be looking for someone, and it quickly became apparent who. Juvia was flopped down on the corner of the bar top, pining. Grey had not arrived at the hall at his usual time this morning and she longed to see him.

The doors opened.

Grey walked in almost hesitantly. Looking around and waving at people who called a welcome. His eyes landed on the bar and he smiled.

"Hey Juvia." The water Wizard shot up. "I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go have lunch with me somewhere. I would like to talk with you." she nodded so fast she was a blur. He held out a hand to help her up. And they walked out together. Still hand in hand.

"Well. That's not what I expected. I figured I was going to have to do something drastic to get him to make a move!" several guild members shifted away from the bar. Mira was SCARY when she smiled like that.


End file.
